I want to do a 30+ day canoe trip around the BWCA. I am having a hard time finding routes can anyone help with some please.

Wow, a 30+ day trip? That's awesome! I'd suggest the first issue to think of before route is food supply. If you have the skill and discipline to manage carrying 30 days food, you can pick any route you like. If being resupplied is needed, you might have to plan your route to be at some middle point at some point in time.

If you are going to carry all your food, maybe plan a route with lots of water and less portaging to start, like maybe start on the far west end and travel the boarder route all the way to the east side, then work your way back through smaller lakes in the middle.

If you are thinking resupply, maybe start in the middle like Moose Lake and do the border east then loop back south and supply, then do the border route west then circle back along the south.

I can think of lots and lots of 10 day trips I'd like to do. With plenty of suggestions from others I'm sure you can piece together a few for a great 10 day trip!

I was kind of wondering about some of the details and logistics too . . . ?

Is this a solo trip? What's your experience level with this kind of trip?

Like Jaywalker, my first thought about logistics was the food - resupply or not. Thirty days will be a lot of food weight to portage along with the canoe and gear, but resupply adds another logistical hurdle. I can dream up all kinds of 30-day trips :).

What's your vision for this trip?

I would spend 30 days tying together snowbank, Thomas, kekekabic, knife, saganaga, seagull, little sag, Adams, boulder, Alice, Insula, 4, 3, 2, 1.

Maybe that's what I should do this spring....?

I would order the Robert Beymer books first. There's one for the west side and one for the eastern section.

30 days is perfect for entering at Moose Lake and paddling east with the wind at your back (hopefully) along the border route (Knife Lake etc.) all the way to Seagull Lake where you can mail a food cache ahead of time to Seagull Outfitters.

So, two weeks to resupply and a shower then two weeks to go back to Moose Lake through smaller lakes. I would throw in some rivers too. The Frost River will provide some serious solitude. The Beymer books will link your route together.with descriptions of portages and campsites. I would also hit up Seagull outfitters for their advice.

BTW, doing this without resupply would be a big hassle IMO. Lot's of weight to carry around plus garbage to pack out and also the risk of losing all of it to a bear if you will be hanging it. And, bears have been known to grab a food pack at the portage landing while you are at the other end.

Resupply guarantees your trip will not be ended prematurely. I speak of experience with this. One time a bear pulled down a weeks worth of food from a tree on night one. Trip over.

I know 30 days is going to be difficult with food supply. There is two of us and 2 dogs. We are thinking 2weeks of food and then re supply. We have camped 2 weeks at a time in Yellowstone we planned a lot before hand but we needed a few items. The difference with this is that we will have everything with us all the time. We are big campers in the summer months. I had one dog last year during all the camping and canoeing it was no problem this year we have two so it’s twice the food. We are doing a 130 mile canoe trip for a test run with everything needed for our big adventure. To see how we do and see what needs to be modified. I am a little concerned about the food for us... But I believe we are going to be eating MRES most of the time. My vision for this trip is to be fun and relaxing with some challenges.

Welcome!
Should be able to do end to end and back easily. With multi day camps along the way. I've maxed out at 2 weeks in the past. NCTRY, another member did a 40 day solo with his dog. A resupply or 2 will be needed. Routing along the Canadian Border is the simplest, adding in many side excursions and you can easily spend 30 days.
MRE's while stable and I do like some (bulky and heavy), should not be your mainstay. Look into Freeze Dried and Air Dried, meals and ingredients. Lots can be purchased at local groceries, or dried at home. Searching the "Camping Recipes " forum will get you going. Brush up on over water navigation and map reading. The more you learn the faster a desired route will develop. Pick apart this site for info and ask away. Friendly and helpful bunch!

butthead

MREs are going to be a lot heavier and take up more volume of space than commercially made freeze dried meals or even DIY dehydrated meals. My wife and I use mostly dehydrated meals we make ourselves and for a 10 day trip to Quetico we fill a 30 liter barrel plus a large Bear Vault bear canister. So with MREs plan for that long you are going to need 2 or more 60 liter barrels. I'll be anxious to see what you get all of the food in whether it be packs or barrels.

We met THIS GUY, on Finger Lake, towards the end of his epic 40 day trip through the BWCAW. I'm sure he could help you with logistics etc.

Until he chimes in, here is a link to his trip report .

According to the permit regulations, if you leave the BWCAW you have to re-enter on a new permit. The exception to this is leaving at Magnetic Lake and re-entering at North/South Lake or reverse when traveling the border route. Resupplying at Seagull or Seagull River at Trails end would technically require a new permit to start out again.

I don't know how carefully that is enforced. I know it has been enforced on Brule Lake where it was common in the past to see folks paddle to their vehicle and drive into town for ice and beer and groceries.

Noting that travel through Gunflint lake is an exception, I would consider using Gunflint Lodge as a re-supply point. On our Voyageurs Highway trips we stopped at the lodge and mailed letters and post cards home and indulged in ice cream. We never re-supplied, however.

I am sure you will enjoy being out that long. starting out on the big lakes like Lac la Croix, Crooked, Basswood and Knife can use up lots of your food load with little portaging. It would be easy to spend several days exploring each of those lakes .

I average 10-12 miles a day, route miles, not counting double portage, so in 30 days easy to go the full east to west - at least LLC - and back.


I have always thought resupply at PP by an outfitter that tows there would be easy.

"Corridor crossings" are permitted and you permit remains valid. I know from talking to USFS office in Duluth you can cross Echo Trail and Gunflint Trail, but not sure about Fernberg. Just no stopping, shopping, and camping, and no travel other than portage and paddle.

Stehpmed,

I am a wildland firefighter and have eaten hundreds of MRE's in my career.
As others have said they are heavy, they also produce alot of garbage, unless you burn this (not recommended) you will be packing alot of extra (Garbage) weight out with you.
They were disigend for military use to be eaten once per day, and are quite expensive.
I know they are better than they used to be 25 years ago, but I still eat as few as possible on the fire line, and have probabally eaten only a half a dozen of them when i didn't need to.

All things aside, factor in the weight compared to freeze dried meals and your desire to do a long trip, with minimal to no resupply.
They also sell dehydrated dog food. Google it.
MRE's 10 tips

Dehydrated dog food, just one link to many.

A dehydrator would be a good investment for you. I have done ground beef (very lean) and cut up grilled chicken breast with great success. A simple box of hamburger helper where you also can dehydrate onions and canned tomatoes makes a really lightweight dinner.

I used the chicken in Knorr noodle and rice dishes. There is a real nice thread in the Cooking section at this site with a lot of great recipes for dehydrated home prepped meals. It's very easy once you get the hang of it.

Heres the one I use. It's also great for fruits to put in your trail mix or oatmeal. I do banana slices, apples and strawberries. I tried blueberries last year but you need to vent each one and it just took way too long to dry them but these other fruits turn out great.

The last couple of years I have been using the dehydrated meals from Camp Chow. They are way better than most other D-Hy or freeze dried meals I've tried and they are fairly affordable. For instance, most of their two person diners are under $10 and they are very easy to prepare. If I were going out for an extended trip I would certainly include some of these in my food planning.

OK, I'm the guy mentioned that did a forty day solo. The dog food would have been a big deal had my dog not carried her own. But we could carry 18 days at a time.

I started out at Gunflint Lodge and did a seven day loop east and came back and resupplied. On a second permit I traveled up the granite to big Sag and looped around across to the west end. I was forced out due to a fire and a third permit was needed to reenter. You could start easily at either end and paddle to the other doing side trips and what not. I'd plan a route and plan to improvise on the fly. I'd get shuttled from where your car could remain safe. I'm not "running a service" but would be willing to help if needed. I can't paddle right now, but would enjoy helping with logistics if needed.

I second the camp chow food. Mocha is a great one to share those ideas. I spent winters dialing in my food to make each meal properly sized and packaged. Both my dog and I lost weight even though I tried to provide meals that kept us both healthy. Always felt good...

Pretty sure you could do ten days at a time with two bear vaults with two people. Lots of good food options to be eating MREs.

Are your dogs able to carry anything? Bernice had two packs as we double portaged.

I’m definitely intrigued by some of the smaller meal makers like Camp Chow. But so far we’ve been making our own meals. We have trouble dehydrating food because we live near the ocean and it is too humid. So we buy ingredients from Harmony Foods, Trader Joe’s, and various supermarkets and especially Asian markets. Then we mix up our own meals with our own spices.

Seems like a cup of dry ingredients plus some rice, quinoa, or pasta turns into a good meal for a person. Scale up for two or more. We often use two pots. One for the dry ingredients and one for the quinoa, rice or pasta. But with the right rice or pasta you can probably just use one pot.

Then vacuum seal each nights dinner and it’s pretty easy to cook them up. Just add some water and heat.

nctry: "I second the camp chow food. Mocha is a great one to share those ideas. "

I just want to clarify that Mocha is with Gunflint lodge and a member here also.

First, here's a link to one solution for a 42-day solo with dog in northern Canada: Link

You have some time for experimentation and planning. Find out your needs and preferences and pay attention to weight, bulk, and calories (and especially calories per ounce). You'll also want to get a good idea of your fuel needs. Wood is an option unless there's an outright fire ban, which may also limit some other fuel choices. Sometimes there's a fire restriction - fires only between 7PM and midnight. You'll also need to investigate the various options for food protection.

There are lots of better options for food for than MRE's. Check out blogs by Andrew Skurka and Adventure Alan for some good ideas, as well as the FBC (Freezer Bag Cooking) website. Check out information on dehydrating your own.

I usually take dehydrated meals from two makers not mentioned yet - Outdoor Herbivore and Hawk Vittles. I'm perfectly content with a cold cereal breakfast (also saves time and fuel). I like Power Bar Meal bars for lunch and usually take mostly nuts to supplement that and for snacks. Nuts have a very high caloric density (calories per ounce) and provide a good mix of macronutrients. Dinners are dehydrated and rehydrated with the use of a cozy to save fuel. One quick way to bump up the calorie count of meals is simply to add some oil (the highest source of calories per ounce).

My food weight usually comes to about 20 oz. per day (about 2400 cal.) for trips of ~12 days. YMMV. For a longer trip, I'd probably bump it up a bit as I do burn a little fat as Ben said and can get a little hungrier towards the end.

You'll have to figure out how much weight you can each carry safely across a portage, then once you have a good idea of the food weight, you'll know if you can double portage or will need to triple, and/or whether you'll want to resupply. Since food weight will be so high, you may want to consider ways to minimize other weight - eliminating unnecessary items, getting lighter ones, etc.

I also figured you may want to try to minimize portaging at the beginning when food weight is heaviest. There are lots of trip options for 30 days depending on your willingness/ability to portage everything and whether you decide to resupply or not.

Good luck!

Would you consider Quetico instead of BWCA? I'd do an extended version of Hunter's Island loop with a resupply at PP or Atikokan.

I realize now MRES are heavier and bulky with a lot of trash. We are looking at freeze dried and dehydrated food. I have been sitting here for days researching and researching. This is going to be tough planning out routes and food. Where to re supply. I really don’t want to re supply I would rather carry it all with us. But that would be so difficult to do. 2 people and 2 dogs. My dogs food alone will be about 50-60 pounds for the month. I am going to get 2 bags of dog food which will be about 80 pounds and see how that feels on my back and walk around with it and do different terrains.

It's going to be a challenge working out the various logistics.

Here is a link to the thread about Alan's food for his 42-day solo trip with dog. I'm sure you'll get some good information and ideas by reading it. I think the food for his dog was less than what you are figuring, but don't know. Somebody mentioned dehydrated dog food . . . ?

At 1.5 lbs. of dehydrated food per person per day, you'd have 45 lbs. each or 90 lbs. total plus the dog food @ ?, plus the canoe at about 45 lbs., and all other gear @ ?. divide the total by four to double portage (2 each) or by 6 to triple portage. Just realize that doubling a 1/2 mile portage makes 1 1/2 miles of walking, although one's unloaded - a good time to snack and drink. Tripling, of course, makes it 2 1/2 miles. If the dog can carry some, then you can subtract that from the weight you carry.

If you start way on the west side as somebody mentioned and paddle along the border, you can go a long way without too much portaging, so even tripling a few isn't too bad, just a little time-consuming. Halfway through the trip, the food will only weigh half as much.

Resupply will have you with half the weight to start, but some logistical issues. If you exit the BW to resupply, you'll need a new permit to reenter, and permits are specific to the date and entry point. Permits are also limited - entry points have a daily quota of permits - and are first-come, first-served. Some entry points and dates are popular and so sometimes no permits are available. If you secure the permit ahead of time, you'll need to make sure you get to the resupply point by the proper day. You could avoid that problem by having someone bring it in to you, but will need to arrange ahead of time and meet the scheduled time, or have some means of communication with them, but cell phones are not reliable for there and other options may be costly. And, of course, if you have someone meet you in the BW, you're not going to get that hot shower, cold beer, steak, and ice cream :).

Another factor to consider with the food and other gear as well, maybe especially with the dog food, is the bulk that has to be packed. And even if you can carry the 80 lbs., will you be able to get it in and out of the canoe with awkward footing . . . ?

Hope this helps you think through various scenarios to come up with the best solution for you.

I forgot to second someone's (?) idea of maybe camping at a few places for several days and doing day trips without the full load to explore the country to the side. Another thing you may not really know is how far you'll travel in a day, plus there are always times when you can't travel due to weather - lightning, strong winds. I have personal experience with overly aggressive travel planning and bad weather. :(

I think you should and can do it without resupply. You have to except that the first ten days will be low mileage if there are portages. If you have to triple portage the first ten days then embrace the routine. Keep your camera with you on the return trips, take lots of breaks. Feel comfortable with the progress you are able to make and have fun. Moving slow does not mean you are seeing less country. Take no travel days freely especially if you are tired. You are spending more time in the country you do travel through and maybe see it better. There is cool stuff you will see on the third trip across the portage that you didn't notice on the first two.

Start somewhere on the far west end, maybe even a couple days in Voyageur National Park before entry at Sand Point Lake. You know those first two portages into Lac la Croix have marine rail assist. You don't even have to unload your canoe. Have a route in mind, but don't cling to it if there are explorations that you start thinking about as you travel. The only goal will be to turn around on day 16 and head back.

You can tell I think about a trip like this a lot. Sixteen days is my longest, but I was not at all ready to head home.

Looking forward to hearing about your experience.

sedges: "I think you should and can do it without resupply. "

But here's the thing, there will be two adults and 2 dogs in the boat. Add in their gear and then 30 days of both their food and also the dogs. That's a very heavy burden to bear (no pun intended) when it can easily be avoided with a resupply and lets face it - a break. I know me personally would really welcome a 15 day break to get a meal and maybe a shower with shampoo and soap. The recharge and re focus for the 2nd half is what I would look forward to.

30 days in the wilderness is a long long time. Unless there's a 2nd boat with two twenty something dedicated sherpas I would never attempt going without a resupply. Just my 2 cents.

TomT: "I just want to clarify that Mocha is with Gunflint lodge and a member here also."

She hasn’t worked there for some time now. She is back home on the prairie.

A book you might find useful is Alone in a Canoe by Michael Kinziger. It includes journals about five different solo trips in Canada, some of them long trips. There is a lot of very useful information on food and other logistics. He was paddling solo and there was not a dog, but it still might be helpful for you planning.

Sadly, I don't think Mocha is with GNO any longer. =(

If I were to do a duration trip I might handle the food by doing sort of what NCTRY did... Have multiple permits. Stopping at any outfitter to resupply by definition causes you to leave the wilderness. It might take away from the freedom to go wherever you want, but then you're less reliant upon having to meet a certain person at a predefined point. Of course, if you have friends that you know would be joining you for part of the trip then that changes things, but I didn't get the sense that you were going to do that.

The route should be fairly simple - don't push it too far or have some flexibility near the last week (short and long options), so that you can get to your take-out regardless of the weather you run into. 30 days is awesome!

I have done several 20 day trips in the BWCA. As far as routes go, the sky is the limit, although I would probably want to use the time to get back into the hinterlands that are not often explored by others. Look at PMA's in the areas that you are familiar with as a place to start.

As far as meals go, I have typically shyed away from the traditional "meal planning" on these longer trips and tended to have my food packed by item. In otherwords, I might have 10# of rice, 5# of noodles, 5# of dried potatoes, etc., plus a variety of gravy mixes, and dried veggies that I can mix in with the carbs. I would also look at TVP (texture vegetable protein) or some different types of veggie burger mix that can be another source of protein.

I have a variety of different meals that I can make depending on the weather, difficulty of the days travel, difficulty of tomorrows travel etc.

On all of my 20+day canoe trips, I've saved quite a lot of food weight and bulk by planning to eat fish as a primary protein source. We usually scheduled three meals per week (2 dinners and 1 lunch) and just cooked the fish in tin foil on the fire.

I suppose there's a bit of a risk because you might not catch fish, but 1) you can't starve to death skipping two dinners a week and 2) it's not that hard to find fish in the BWCA, especially if you have three weeks to find them. :)

Of course, time of year, preferred species, and fishing prowess might change the calculation. Just my .02.

Happy I found this thread. That is my plan, but out of Sawbill.
I have a 35 day permit. Short portage routes for day one and two, then base camp for a few days and then head North. No definite route plan, just a general idea that I would like to see the BWCA in cross section, tag Canada, and then head back to my truck. And if I accomplish none of those, but enjoy my paddle, I win.
My trip is in July and I have packed everything but the kitchen sink. The next few months will be cutting it down, repacking, cutting some more. (Do I really need a lantern? I have a great headlamp. That chair, really? I have an ultralight hammock that folds to the size of a tennis ball, and my ensolite knee pad. I also hear they have some real cushy logs up in Minnesota. Do I really want to make that much bannock? I know it's tradition, but another package of hamburger helper stroganoff will taste just as good and weigh less.) You all get the idea.
I have never done an unsupported trip for this long. On a month long pack trip thirteen days solo backpacking carrying all of my food, between two supply drops, is my record, and week long river canoe floats alone, but this is my first BWCA trip. I am starting to see this as my wilderness Ph.D. thesis. I am trading sucky portages the first week or two for freedom from a schedule.

Lots to talk about but I’ll keep it short.
@crash Davis- days are long in northern MN in July. You don’t need a lantern.
You can take a little LED flashlight that runs on a lithium battery and that’s all you need. Plenty of daylight.

Take a 20’ down bag. They pack real small.

The only luxury I take with me on my solo trips is a small REI chair. Even that has been taken out of my pack a few times to save space and weight. In the end, for these long trips, you ave to pull out all the stuff you can live without even if it’s fun.

Tom

For my "luxury" item I'd take a super-light chair. No lantern is needed but if you think you need one take a solar-rechargeable Luci lite. Take freeze-dried food or at the very least dehydrated food that can be rehydrated and reconstituted with boiling water. Things like pasta, noodles, rice, Hamburger Helper, etc. often have to be simmered for 10 - 20 minutes which uses a lot of fuel. Make a couple of "coozies" out of Reflectix. I bring these and once I add boiling water to my freeze-dried meal and let it sit for 10 - 15 minutes it's still too hot to eat. These really help and weigh nothing! Ova-easy eggs are great. They taste like the real thing and get your day started with a protein boost. Pack-It Gourmet offers some items than can be made with cold water that are very good. They also sell freeze dried ingredients and Mylar bags so you can make your own meals and save a lot of money. Last but not least remember that you will be packing your trash and carrying it with you until you exit.

No, you don't need a lantern. No, you don't need a chair. No, you don't want to make that much of anything that adds weight to the food pack(s).

A lot can happen and there's a lot to think about. When I have some more time I'll email you a list of 99 to ponder for a starter. ;)

I think a chair depends on the person. For me, I carry a no-longer-available, 21 ounce Alite Monarch Butterfly chair. It is very restorative to my back and so important for me after tough portaging days. For my wife, she is great with those comfy logs you have heard about or just sitting on the ground.

If you are married, perhaps you can share with the rest of us how you got your wife to sign off on a 30 day trip! (asking for a friend)

ockycamper: "If you are married, perhaps you can share with the rest of us how you got your wife to sign off on a 30 day trip! (asking for a friend)"

Okay that was funny stuff right there!

You look young (at least decades younger than me) so I think a chair is not a critical item. I don't carry one on a solo. A good LED headlamp is perfect. A battery bank for recharging critical electronics. Keep your cook kit super simple...I use a soaking jar and reflectix cozy for soaking my "just add boiling water" meals (as mentioned before, this will save a lot of fuel!). A fry pan if you want fish and bannock or other baking...plan to do elaborate cooking on nice days. Skip taking an axe. I don't even bother with a saw on solo trips.

Since you are a solo backpacker, you know how to pack light. You will appreciate keeping that same ethos on a solo BWCA trip.

Have a great summer!

Crashdavis: "
I have a 35 day permit.
I have never done an unsupported trip for this long.
...but this is my first BWCA trip. "

I generally worry about first-time bwca trippers biting off too much. But you seem experienced and will figure it out. Sounds like a great trip!

I've never heard of a 35 day permit.?

andym: "I think a chair depends on the person. "

Completely agree. I don't trip without my 17 ounce Helinox chair zero. The most difficult part is carrying it around set up at camp. As soon as I get out of it the non chair bringers sit it in it! As Northwoodsman suggested a Luci lite is a great way to have a light, compact lantern that will not need batteries and can be a backup if your headlamp fails.

As far as knife, saw, axe goes you need to ask yourself what you are going to do at camp. A lot of people deal with the loneliness monster on a trip that long. I get great enjoyment and comfort out of gathering wood and sitting by the fire. Also a great back up if your stove goes down. At the very least I carry a Silky Gomboy at 10 ounces.

Love how your goals are to see the BWCA and enjoy your paddle. I have been disappointed when I set to high of expectations, sounds like you have your priorities straight.

July 2 to August 7. I couldn't believe it either.

Saw and knife yes, axe no. I use a caldero, sort of a thin walled aluminum dutch oven from Mexico, I have been using it on canoe trips for a couple of years. Works great if you watch your coals, and it is a good fry pan. A Mors pot and a pie plate fill it out for lite canoe trips so I should be good.
Food is the big volume item, heavy on staples (I dug out my old NOLS cookbook) because I do like to actually cook over a fire by the water. I dehydrate my own from the garden all year to stock up for summer, the weeding I have to do when get back sucks, and use my Food Saver to vacuum pack it. I never run out of sundried tomatoes. I hate most of the prepackaged meals, my own are cheaper, better and sometimes lighter. I did get two #10 cans from Mountain House, sausage crumbles and hamburger, and enough Ova Easy to die of cholesterol poisoning. They make good a protein basis for my meals when I backpack. On this trip I am not going to settle for oatmeal and Via packs for breakfast every day! I would pack less, but I will not count on my fishing skills.
My hammock and Eureka No Bug Zone are my luxury items, still debating the chair,
and I have a gen one Luci light if I can find it. Charging capacity is covered. I am a fan of Gaia GPS, it helped me find a spring once when I desperately needed water once, does anybody on this thread have BWCA experience with it? Good maps and compass skills, so fine there.
I am on here to learn before I go and avoid unnecessary OS moments. All ideas welcome.

bobbernumber3: "

Crashdavis: "
I have a 35 day permit.
I have never done an unsupported trip for this long.
...but this is my first BWCA trip. "

I generally worry about first-time bwca trippers biting off too much. But you seem experienced and will figure it out. Sounds like a great trip!


I've never heard of a 35 day permit.?"

I got my trail name at a dicey flooded creek crossing in the Sierra Nevada, as we were evaluating the least risky way to get over to the other side, no choice, we had to cross I quoted Crash Davis from Bull Durham "You gotta play this game with fear and arrogance." Nickname stuck.

Crashdavis: "...
My hammock and Eureka No Bug Zone are my luxury items, still debating the chair,

"

I'd recommend scratching the 5lb No Bug Zone and adding the chair. Sounds like your sitting around camp time in a bug net will be minimal. A chair is nice to have, IMO.

For 1 ounce I'm a huge fan of the Sea to Summit Head Net. Difficult to eat with it on, but combined with permetherin treated clothes gives a sanctuary while in camp.
Sea to Summit Head Net

MidwestFirecraft: "For 1 ounce I'm a huge fan of the Sea to Summit Head Net. Difficult to eat with it on, but combined with permetherin treated clothes gives a sanctuary while in camp.
Sea to Summit Head Net "

Good alternative to a screen room.

bobbernumber3: "

MidwestFirecraft: "For 1 ounce I'm a huge fan of the Sea to Summit Head Net. Difficult to eat with it on, but combined with permetherin treated clothes gives a sanctuary while in camp.
Sea to Summit Head Net "

Good alternative to a screen room."

Especially on an excursion of this magnitude...agreed a bug net doesn't eat well and it is also problematic if not removed for sneezing, so I've heard.

Cozy, oh yeah. Cold soak, tried it and hated it. I am only 57, started backpacking when Collin Fletcher was still the man.

OK. I have had that net for years, fits great over my hat and stays in place with the elastic under the arms. I do treat all my clothes with Sawyer Permethrin and I swear by it. I am using picaridin bug dope and I have some deet wipes for backup. So you think that will be good for July, and leave the Eureka? I have a Hubba so I can get out of the worst, and take a lighter cook tarp.
One more question. Why do I see so many people rig a tarp over their tents? Cheap tents and bad rain flys, or just to save drying time in the morning?

One more question. Why do I see so many people rig a tarp over their tents? Cheap tents and bad rain flys, or just to save drying time in the morning?"

It’s a place to stand up, dry off, get changed, etc before crawling into a tent soaking wet.

Lawnchair107: "

One more question. Why do I see so many people rig a tarp over their tents? Cheap tents and bad rain flys, or just to save drying time in the morning?"

It’s a place to stand up, dry off, get changed, etc before crawling into a tent soaking wet."

Agreed. It is also nice for particularly heavy storms, especially when I'm solo. I don't always set up a tarp above my tent, probably less frequently than the other way around, but some campsites don't have that many options and it simply works well to do so. I bring one tarp, a 10x14, on my trips unless we have more than four people. On occasion I have tripped without a tarp but I usually regret it and vow to never do it again.

Crash...it looks like you have plenty of bug dope options. I bring a face net, soak the outer layers of clothes with permethrin, and bring a small amount of deet - maybe 2 ounces. Not sure what you mean by the bug net elastic securing itself under your arms. Mine hangs off my hat and secures above the arms at the base of my neck.

With as long as you'll be on your trip it'll be interesting to see what you decide to bring and what you decide to leave home. Either way, I hope you have an enjoyable and safe adventure!

LindenTree3: "Stehpmed,


I am a wildland firefighter and have eaten hundreds of MRE's in my career.
As others have said they are heavy, they also produce alot of garbage, unless you burn this (not recommended) you will be packing alot of extra (Garbage) weight out with you.
They were disigend for military use to be eaten once per day, and are quite expensive.
I know they are better than they used to be 25 years ago, but I still eat as few as possible on the fire line, and have probabally eaten only a half a dozen of them when i didn't need to.


All things aside, factor in the weight compared to freeze dried meals and your desire to do a long trip, with minimal to no resupply.
They also sell dehydrated dog food. Google it.
MRE's 10 tips

Dehydrated dog food, just one link to many. "

I don't know about the new ones but back in the day...MREs were like eating a cork. Take some stool softener with you!

Were it me, I would take mountain house or equivalent meals...but those are only ~500 calories or so.

The other solution to resupply would be to find an outfitter on a lake, pay to park a second vehicle with your second half resupply loaded into it. I'm thinking Kawishiwi Lodge and Lake One outfitting.

My net is old and has loops that go under the arms, drapes over my hat also. The elastic loops are great at keeping the hood down, no worries about them sneaking in as a move around. Had it since the 00's and no holes yet. Goes wherever I go.
Tumblehome, I am taking my 40 degree down bag. I have a silk liner, 3/4 ensolite under my air pad (doubles as my knee pad), and I am also bringing a woobie (poncho liner) that I can drape over if needed. If it goes below 30 in July, I'll have to take a water bottle to bed. My next option is my 15 degree down bag, but that is overkill, unless you know something I don't?

Pretty sure last July-early Aug I didn't use my sleeping bag except maybe laying it partially on top of me a few nights, my go-to was a sheet on top of a foam pad+wool 'blanket' (Pendleton 'rollup'). You should be able to get a month of food in one pack, I had two packs & in hindsight had enough rations space for eight weeks. Bugs will be most intense at the start of your trip & will begin to taper off by mid-July. With no bug dope, June/early July were the most bothersome though by mid-July I was able to just about put away the headnet. The only time I really desired a net shelter was when the bugs were bad & I had to use the latrine, though I got used to not exposing much skin while doing my business haha. I'd recommend a pump filter to a gravity system for going solo. For cooking, I found the MSR titan to be a good size - one boil would be sufficient for a freeze dried dinner or oatmeal + one coffee. Anything you can eat with a fork, you can eat with a spoon - one utensil & a papertowl to wipe it off. I used a bowl & cup for my morning oatmeal + coffee though for dinner I ate freeze dried meals out of a pouch/bag (I repackaged the #6 cans with a vacuum sealer). Lemonaide was refreshing during the hot months though dried lemon powder would be less bulk (most of the 'country time' stuff is sugar). I went no-cook for lunch & had jerky + cheese sticks & mixed nuts/dried fruit/nut bars.

Thems a lot of words I done vomited up there haha. Feel free to ask any follow-ups, while others here are surely more experienced, I was solo up there May-Oct last year & I'm prepping to repeat the trip again this year (was looking at food today & some of the price increases made my eyes water haha my ghee is up 60%!).

John, I tried that, but I really did not like my options. Though I might try bulk cramming into one barrel. Now I have it divided by week and that does leave some wasted space. I bet I could layer it well enough that I don't have to dig and repack much.

Therein lies the problem with bearproof storage containers & long trips... I did not use bearproof food containers, I split my food into two packs in part so I wouldn't risk losing my whole stash & had everything sealed to reduce scent signature. I also used one of those roll-top pack liners from piragis as a last line of defense against air exchange in my 'main' food pack (the second pack was more of a food pantry which replenished my main kitchen pack so it contained no opened items & had very little/no scent as a result). Some places it's impossible to hang (e.g. recently burned areas) so the back-up plan of low scent signature becomes important. Imho, bears that raid camps are creatures of habit & check the 'usual places' for food packs - if you find yourself at a site where you can't hang or if you arrive at a site too late to safely rig up a tree, I'd tuck the food pack(s) under some brush a bit away from camp or lash it to a tree somewhere within earshot so you'll be awoken to scare off anything that might stumble upon it.